Terrace

The National Monuments Service's description

KE088-027004- is located on a fairly steep, S facing slope of Knocknaskereighta mountain, towards the head of a broad valley which is locally known as ‘The Glen’. It affords excellent views to St Finan’s Bay and the Skelligs at W. The site is associated with St Buonia (Beoanigh), who is locally reputed to have been a sister of St Patrick. It has also been suggested that the site was founded by St Brendan or by St Beoanus, his disciple (O’Donoghue 1893, 280-3). Permission to survey the site was refused, and the following description is based on summary notes and the accounts published of it by Lynch (1902a) and Henry (1957).

The principal components of the site are located on two stone revetted terraces which extend roughly E-W along the hill-slope. The lower terrace (KE088-027018-) measures c. 24m N-S x c. 70m E-W and is delimited at E and W by continuations of the boundaries of the upper terrace. It is revetted at S by largely collapsed stone facing. Two parallel rows of upright slabs, 1.2m in average height, occur 3m apart just W of the present limits of the terrace; Henry interpreted these as the remains of an entrance (1957, 101). Located on the terrace are two circular huts (1, 2) and the foundations of two rectangular buildings.

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 954. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 30 July 2013